Method of making a bottle sealing cap



a sealing cap for the -l composed oi paper or 'the present application Yto provide a method of v character which is so formed that it may bel placed on the lip of the bottle mouth and molded Patented Nov. i4, i939 2,180,243 minnen or MAKING A porren sssLiNc.

Harry F. Kniesohe, Baltimore, Md.

Original application (iotobcr 11,

1932, Serial N0.

637,308. Divided and this application January 9. 1939, Serial No. 250,070

2 Claims.

method o1' making a bottle sealing cap and more especially mouth of a milk bottle and similar brous material, being a division oi' my No. 637,308 iiled October The present invention relates to a prior application 'Serial 11, 1932.

The prima-ry object of the present invention is making a cap of this so that it will t smoothly and intimately against and around such lip and will be locked thereon 1 by the inherent properties of the material composing the cap,thereby precluding the presence of crevices or other spaces between it and the lip'which might admit or permit the lodgment of bacteria or other unsanitary matter, so that the sealing cap will maintain thebottle mouth and lip in a. clean and sanitary condition.

A further object of the invention is toprovide a method of making a cap of this character whereby the 'cap can be manufactured inexpensively and can be aixed rapidly and with facilrity to 'the bottle mouth by a' relatively simple means.

To these and other ends. the invention consists of certain features which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 111s a diagrammatic view showing the preferred manner of molding a sealing cap according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing. dies suitable for compressing the ilange of the molded cap at intervals around its circumference;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional View, on an enlarged scale, taken through portions of the dies shown in Fig. 2, showing the manner in f hich the ange of the cap is compressed thereby at intervals around its circumference; y

Fig. 4 is a view of the cap, partly in section, showing its condition after being acted upon by the dies shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the mouth of a milk bottle and meansL for remolding or ai'- flxing the sealing cap upon the bbottle;

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6t in Fis. 5;

Fig. 7 is an elevation of the neck or upper end of a bottle, showing the sealing cap molded and locked thereon;

Fig. 8 is a. section taken on thev line 8 8 in Fig.` 7-; 'and g Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view, on ran enlarged scale. showing the manner in which the brous structure o11 the rlange'of theseal-in'g capis altered during the bottle.

erence characters in the several figures.

The method of makingv -a bottle sealing cap,-

according to the present invention, preferably comprises molding the cap tofappr'oidmately its finished form from paper pulp such for examplev as that commonly used for making seamless paper articles, orv from s imilariibrous material. As

shown for example in Fig. 1, a pair of wire mesh or other foraminous mold `members I and 2 having lapproximately the form of the cap to be mldedlmay be pressed togetherupon a body or layer 3 of wet or moist and relatively loose paper The cap, molded ln the manner described, after partial or complete drying thereof, is subjected to an actionwhich compresses portions oi its flame spaced circumierentially` thereof, leaving the intervening portions of the flange uncompressed.

so that when the cap is placed between the dies as shown in Fig. 2 and the died is forced through the die 6, the ange 5 oi' the cap will be compressed between the inwardly projecting ribs i in the die 6 and the periphery oi the die 9, thereby causing the flange of the cap to be compressed or reduced in thickuncompressed areasl li in the portions of the Similar parts are designated by the same refe molding thereof uponhthe lip of thel flange which were accommodatedv by the grooves 8in the .diet as shown in Fig.` 3,-these alterbottle, and such molding of the cap upon -The bottle, which is nately compressed and uncompressed areas thus formed in the flange extending transversely of its circumference or approximately parallel to the axis of the cap. In order to avoid breakage of the cap while it is being forced through the die 6, the die or plunger 9 is preferably formed with a circumferentially extending screw thread I2 to bear against the inner side of the flange of the cap and thereby grip it substantially throughout its area, thereby assisting the end of the plunger in forcing the cap through the die. Fig. 4 shows the form of the cap after-it has been thus acted upon by the dies I5 and 9, the alternately arranged compressed and uncompressed portions II) and II in its flange forming flutes therein.

The fluted cap, made by the method provided by the presentA invention, is capable of being affixed to the-bottle by molding the ange of the cap upon the lip surrounding the mouth of the the bottle may be accomplished by relatively simple means such for example as that disclosed in my prior Patent No. 1,965,550 granted July 3, 1934, and a portion of which means is herein shown. In the present instance, lI3 represents the upper end or neck of an ordinary milk bottle the mouth I4 of which is surrounded as usual by an annular lip I5 which is convexed outwardly in vertical section so that the lower portion of this lip where it joins the bottle neck will be of reduced diameter relatively to the upper portionof this lip. filled at the time the sealing cap is applied, may be closed by the usual closing disk I6 which may recessed mouth of the bottle. After the cap,.in the form shown in Fig. 4, is placed over the the bottle mouth so that its disc-like portion rests upon the top edge of the bottle and its flange extends downwardly around the lip I5, an annularly arranged set springs I8 are simultaneously forced inwardly against the flange of the cap, the cap having been moistened with water either before 'or after being placed on the bottle so as to soften somewhat the pulp or brous material composing it,

is applied to the flange of I8, heat is also applied to expel moisture from the pulp or fibrous material composing the ilange and thus assist in imparting a permanent set to the flange. The springs I8 are each segmental in form so that they collectively form a substantially complete circle around the flange of the cap and the lip of the bottle, and each of these springs is concave on its inner surface in a plane transverse to its circumferential length to conform with the outwardly convexed contour of the bottle lip I5. Therefore, forcing of the springs I8 simultaneously inwardly against and entirely around the flange of the cap applied over the lip I5 of the bottle will cause the flange of the cap to be molded upon and around the lip I5 and to vassume a contour which conforms with that Vof thev lip, the lower edge of the flange of tlie cap being pressed inwardly so that it underlies the outwardly projecting portion of the bottle lip and thereby becomes locked thereon. The diameter or circumferential extent of the lower portion of the flange of the cap is reduced to enable it to thus underlie or lock beneath the lipk I5 of the cap by the springs the bottle, and such reduction in the diameter or circumferential extent of the iiange of the cap is facilitated or made possible by the lprevious formation of the alternately arranged compressed diagram, Fig.

be pressed as usual in the of pressure applying vthe flange of the cap by the surrounding presmembers I8 causes radially inward pressure to be applied to the projecting uncompressed portions II of the ange and also imposes a circumferential compression upon the flange tending to contract its diameter or circumferential extent, and these forces thus set up in the pulp 01 fibrous material composing the flange cause the fibers from the relatively thicker uncompressed portions II to slide or shift into. interlapping positions between the fibers in the adjacent compressed portions I0 of the flange, thus increasing the thickness of such compressed portions, as will be seen from the 9, which represents the condition of the flange of the cap at an intermediate point sure-applying springs or inthe molding thereof` upon the bottle lip, this relative shifting of the bers composing the flange of the cap reducing its diameter or circumferential extent so that it contracts toward or against ,the lip I5 of the bottle, and upon completion of this molding action, the ange oi the cap will be molded intimately against Vthe bottle lipy I5 so that it conformsv exactly with the shape thereof and extends under the outwardly convexed portion thereof so that the sealing cap will be firmly locked upon the lip. Since the lip I5 of the bottle is smooth, the inner surface of the flangeof the cap will be molded smoothly against it, and since the inner or flange engaging faces of the springs or pressure applying members I8 are smooth.' the outer surface of the flange of the cap, when the molding thereof upon the bottle has been completed, will be smooth and will have substantially the appearance shown in Fig. '1, the compressed and uncompressed portions IIl and II of the flange being brought by the molding operation to the same thickness so that the wall of the flange of the cap, after being molded on the bottle, will be of substantially uniform thickness. i

The rearranging of the bers composing the flange of the cap. during the molding thereof upon the bottle lip, is factilitated by the moist condition of the pulp or fibrous material cornposing the flange and during the molding of thel flange of the cap upon the bottle, heat is applied thereto, as'by an electrical heating coil I9 which may be placed in a head 2i containing the pres--` sure applying members I8 so as to maintain them in a heated condition, the heat thus applied serving to expel moisture from the flange of the cap and to thereby impart a permanent set to the flange molded on the bottle lip.

The springs or pressure applying members I8 may be simultaneously forced radially inwardly by the mea-ns shown in my prior patent hereinbefore referred to, comprisingk a set of plungers 20 slidable radially in the hear 2i and each having the middle of one of the springs I8 attached thereto as by a screw 22, and another set of plungers 23 slidable radially in the head 2| between the plungers 20 and slidably bearing against and overlapping the adjacent ends 'of the respective springs or pressure applying members I8, all of the plungers 20 and 23 being simili-- taneously forced inwardly by a set of levers 24 pivoted to the head 2I at 25 and all engaging an actuator 26 which is held stationary while thev head 2i is lowered over the bottle mouth as in said prior paeent, so that the members IB will bev pressed-inwardly evenly or with equal pressure n i8 compensate forthe around the ange of the cap and the bottle lip. Spaces left between the ends of adjacent springs reduction in diameter or circumferential extent oi the iiange of the cap under the molding action thereon produced by these springs. v n

The bottle sealing cap provided by the method according to the present invention is `capable of being applied or aixed to the bottle so. that it effectively seals the bottle from malicious tampering with its contents sincethe cap may be permanently molded on the` bottle lip arid securely locked thereon by the flange of the cap which extends beneath the outwardly convexed portion of the bottle lip.- Removal of the seal from the bottle by the user may be accomplished easily by a twisting and lifting force applied thereto by the'hand, but removal of the sealing 'cap causes splitting or breaking of the `flange of the cap in order that the lower portion of the flange of the cap may pass over the upper portion of the lip which is of relatively greater diameter.

Therefore, removal of the cap for the purpose of tampering` with the contents of the bottle would lead to immediate detection. the consequent splitting or mutilation of the iiange of the cap being plainly apparent. Since the flange of the cap covers the entire lip of the bottle and extends to its junction with the neck of the bottle, the iiange of the cap serves as a covering for the bottle lip s o that bacteria or other unsanitary matter cannot reachV orlodge upon the bottle lip and hence milk or other contents poured from the bottle will not be contaminated. Furthermore, the sealing cap molded on the bottle is locked thereon by the inherent properties of the pulp or fibrous material composingthe flange of the cap, thus rendering it unnecessary to use binding wire or other-fastening means which is difficult to apply and remove and is otherwise objectionable. 'I'he improved sealing caps made according to the method provided by the present 'invention may, if desired, be made Waterproof by division.

tions lof the mixing or otherwise incorporating parafiin or other suitable waterproong material with the pulp or brous material, and when parain is so used, it will preclude adhering of the pressure ap plying members to the flange of the cap incident to the molding thereof upon the bottle lip.

'I'he herein described method of making sealing caps according to the present invention enables such caps to be produced inexpensively and with facility, and the molding of the caps upon the bottle lips may be accomplished readily and inexpensively by relatively simple means.

The cap made or prepared according to the method hereindescribed is claimed in my copending application Ser. No. 250,069'filed Jan.

The method of applying oraxing the cap to a bottle -or other container and the cap so applied are claimed n No. 637,308 now Patent No. 2,169,804, granted Aug. 15, 1939, of which this application is a `I claim as my invention:

l. 'I'he method of preparing a fibrous bottle sealing cap having a flange adapted for application to the rim of a bottle mouth, which comprises compressing the'ange ofthe cap at intervals spaced circumferentially thereof. leaving intervening uncompressed portions of the flange of greater thickness than the'compressed portions thereof,

2. The method of preparing a brous cap for application to the mouth of a bottle, which comprises forcing the cap having a ange portion thereon, through a die having ridges thereon parallel to the direction of motion of the cap through the die, thus compressing the flange portion of' the cap at intervals` spaced circumferentially thereof. leaving intervening uncompressed sec'- ange portion of greater thickness than the compressed sections thereof.v

y :maarv r'. KmEs'cHE.

in my priorapplication Ser. 

